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this post was submitted on 18 May 2024
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Electric Vehicles
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Ah yes, that car I read about in Popular Science in 2006. I'm sure their crowdfunding will be used to bring it into production this time.
It a fair criticism but I think they're much closer to production this time. I'm still skeptical they will make it to production, and even more skeptical that they will be successful in the market. However, I am rooting for them simply because I believe this design philosophy is the direction the automotive industry ought to be taking.
It makes no sense to build heavy, powerful, and expensive EVs in a time where we're looking down the barrel of climate change and terrible income inequality. Aptera seems to be one of the only companies that understands that. Certainly they deserve to be questioned given past failures but I do hope they succeed as their design is a step in the right direction
Oh yeah I do think the idea is really cool, and I agree with your sentiment about evs (especially within the usa, specifically). I just don't have an expectation that this company will deliver something that can match the expectations that they always seem to project.
Re specific small-ev projects, there is innovation happening, just not in the states. For example, I think the way they do electric motorbikes in some asian cities right now is very interesting (ie Gogoro is pretty popular in Taipei, and Honda is experimenting with a similar style in Japan) . Essentially, you have stations that have large walls of batteries, and you just take your bike, swap batteries out for charged ones, and you're on your way. It's a cool idea that makes electric bikes just straight more convenient than motor ones.
I think it's just way easier to justify innovation in small evs when the top-selling vehicle in your country is not the F-150.
That is such a cool idea!
Their story is interesting, but also depressing. They were competing for government EV subsidies at the time and then the rules changed at the 11th hour, and they were excluded because their vehicles had 3 wheels instead of 4. Meanwhile, Tesla did get the funding.
Aptera was forced to sell everything to a Chinese firm, who never did anything with it. Then, a few years ago, Aptera’s original founders found the money to buy it all back and drafted a new roadmap to market.
It’s been touch-and-go this time around, too, but their technology and basic principles are just brilliant. The sheer practicality of what they are making is unmatched by anyone anywhere. I’m excited to see this finally come to market!
Huh I didnt know this story. Thanks for sharing!
Same story as Elio motors. Even their last $8,000, 80+mpg car was "coming soon" for so long that it was scrapped for a more expensive EV model that is also "coming soon".